Netflix’s upcoming miniseries Death by Lightning takes on one of America’s most tragic presidential stories—the 1881 assassination of James A. Garfield and the medical blunders that doomed him. Starring Michael Shannon, Nick Offerman, and Matthew Macfadyen and based on Candace Millard’s Destiny of the Republic, this one hits close to home for me. Read the full story.
From runaway drummer boy to Pottsville’s own “Williams the Hatter,” John H. Williams carved a path of daring and enterprise. After Civil War service as a teenager, he founded a thriving hatter shop in 1870, becoming one of the county’s youngest and most renowned, respected merchants. Read the full story.
Learn about the legacy of Big Mine Run Colliery, opened in 1854 and by the 1880s employing 356 workers to produce 750 tons of anthracite daily. From steam engines powering the breaker to company‑owned tenements, explore this colliery at the height of Schuylkill County’s coal boom. Read the full story.
As news of President Garfield’s shocking 1881 shooting reached the Coal Region, communities in Luzerne County paused in unified grief and anxious curiosity—echoing the sorrow of Lincoln’s assassination. Discover how local papers and citizens reacted to this national crisis and its lingering impact. Read the full story.
An artist's rendition shows the Pennsylvania state capital as it looked in the late-19th century.